2004 Presidential State of the Union Address

Jan 28th, 2008

 Airtime in San Diego is 6PM, on all major TV and radio stations.

President Bush will give his last State of the Union Address tonight to Congress, the Supreme Court Justices, personal guests of his, and the nation.  The purpose of this speech as outlined in the Constitution is to give his assessment of the general conditions of the country at this time.  View or listen to his speech and respond to the following questions:

  Location and Guests

1.  What is the location that these people have gathered in?

2.  All of our governmental leaders are present, including the President’s cabinet, with the exception of one person.  Who is that?  What is his title? (Cabinet position)

3.  The President always invites citizens to the address that he feels stand out in some way.  Who has President Bush invited tonight and why?

 

4.  As you listen, the President is expected to speak about: The War in Iraq,  the nation’s economic situation, education and several proposals he wants Congress and the people of the US to accept and act on.   Listen for what the President thinks about these things and what he feels needs to be done:

 I  War on Iraq  

        How he sees the situation:

 How effective was the Troop Surge that went into Iraq this year?

What does Pres. Bush have to say about bringing home troops?

II Nation's Economy

 Many people say the US is in or heading towards an economic recession.  How does Pres. Bush see it?

  What does the President feel government should do, to help stimulate the economy?

How should the Tax Refund currently being discussed in Congress be spent by the Americans who receive it? 

III Immigration

    Immigration is a controversial topic in the US right now.  Does Pres. Bush have a solution to the undocumented immigrants who come to the US? 

What should the government do?

What should businesses do?

Is there discussion about the National ID Card being issued to US citizens and 'documented' workers?

 

V  Education/ No Child Left Behind

How does the President see education across the nation?  What does he think is going well?  What does he  want to see schools do?

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  President Bush is experiencing a low voter approval rating right now.   How do you view his performance as President? (What has he done well?  What area does he need to focus on?)

<<EXTRA CREDIT>>AFTER THE SPEECH IS OVER…

    Democratic Response:  After the speech, the Democrats will have a speaker that responds to the President’s speech.   Who is the person who will be speaking for the Democrat?  What do the Democrats feel about the major issues?    (Iraq, the nation’s economy, education, etc.)